MacOS Mojave is one of the more exciting MacOS system software releases in quite some time, with many new interesting features and capabilities tucked throughout the new release.
Some of those new features are more interesting and or useful than others however, so we’re going to focus on a handful of new features in macOS Mojave that you’re most likely to actually use and appreciate.
Obviously you’ll need macOS Mojave to enjoy these new features on a Mac, if you haven’t done so yet you can prepare for and install MacOS Mojave or go ahead and download macOS Mojave now to update to the latest MacOS version.
1: Dark Mode
Dark Mode is perhaps the biggest obvious pull for many users to update to macOS Mojave, and it’s also the most prominent new feature available to MacOS Mojave. Much as the name implies, Dark Mode turns all user interface elements away from the bright white and gray default to a deeper dark interface scheme, which not only looks great but for some users it may even offer a less distracting visual environment to work in.
Users can switch between the two interface themes at anytime by going to the “General” system preference panel and selecting either Light or Dark mode.
If you’re on macOS Mojave, you absolutely must try out Dark Mode, it’s visually interesting and maybe you’ll find yourself even more productive when using it! And if it’s not your cup of tea, no sweat you can switch back to Light Mode through the General preference panel in System Preferences.
2: Desktop Stacks
Desktop Stacks aim to clean up a messy desktop by placing all desktop files into organized ‘stacks’ that can be clicked on to access more of that file type (you can also choose to arrange Stacks by various date settings and tag, though Kind is probably the most useful for most people).
If you have a cluttered Desktop then Desktop Stacks is a great feature, particularly if you’ve gotten to the point of simply disabling and hiding the Desktop on a Mac to manage the desktop file mess. Now there’s no need, simply enable and use Desktop Stacks and your desktop will appear much tidier with minimal effort.
To enable Desktop Stacks, go to the Mac desktop then pull down the “View” menu and choose “Use Stacks”. You can also change how Stacks are sorted from the View menu by adjusting the ‘Group Stacks’ setting.
Once Stacks are enabled, you can click on the file type Stack (or however you sorted them) to reveal all of the files contained within.
3: Finder Quick Actions
Finder Quick Actions allow you to perform simple tasks like joining multiple files or images into a single PDF, or rotate a picture, directly from the Finder.
This is a great feature for power users and regular users alike, since you’ll no longer have to open Preview app to perform simple tasks like this.
Quick Actions can be accessed from the Finder Preview pane, or from the right-click contextual menu.
4: Finder Preview Panel Shows Metadata
The updated Finder Preview panel now reveals additional helpful information, including metadata about files and images.
The new Preview panel can be accessed in Column and Gallery view, then simply clicking on an image or file will show the preview options.
If for some reason Preview is not visible (or maybe you want to disable it) you can show it (or hide) through the View menu by selecting “Show Preview”.
5: Quick Look Markup
Quick Look has been around for a long time on the Mac, and now it’s more useful than ever thanks to built-in Markup tools. You’ll see the Markup tools available right at the top of a Quick Look window:
Having Markup in Quick Look means you can quickly add text, shapes, arrows, highlights, crops, signatures, and other simple image adjustments without ever leaving a Quick Look window.
6: Continuity Camera Captures Images from iOS to Mac Instantly
If you are a Mac user with an iPhone or an iPad (updated to iOS 12 or later) then you’ll have access to a great feature set that allows you to quickly import an image or scan to the Mac from an iPhone or iPad, by using the iOS devices camera.
In the Finder simply right-click on the desktop or in a folder of the Mac Finder, and choose “Import from iPhone or iPad” then select either Take Photo or Scan Documents. You can also access the Continuity Camera feature from apps like Pages and Keynote via the File menu. Then you’re able to use the camera on the iOS device to quickly snap a picture or scan of something that will immediately appear on the Mac.
7: Privacy Controls for Microphone, Camera, Location, etc
Have you ever wanted to know exactly which Mac apps have access to things like your location, contacts, calendars, reminders, Photos, Camera, Microphone, full disk access, and more? MacOS Mojave makes this easier than ever before, making the latest MacOS release particularly nice for the privacy conscious.
Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy to see and control which apps have access to these features of your Mac and more.
8: New Screenshot Tools & Keystroke
Taking a screenshot on the Mac has always been a fairly simple affair of pressing Command + Shift + 3 for a full screen capture, or Command + Shift + 4 for a single window screen capture. Those tricks still work in Mojave, but now MacOS has a new keyboard shortcut which will bring up a little screen shot capture utility with a full range of capabilities, including taking complete screenshots, partial screenshots, capturing windows or apps, and even screen recording tools.
Hit Command + Shift + 5 to bring up the new screenshot tools in MacOS Mojave. Screen recording and capturing has never been easier on the Mac.
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Do you have any favorite features in MacOS Mojave? Share them with us in the comments!
